Intermittent angular stroke driving mechanism



Nov. 19; 1968 M. DE GENNARO INTERMITTENT ANGULAR STROKE DRIVING MECHANISM Filed April 4, 1967 INVENTOR. Mono 13c 9211mm ATTOR N EYS United States Patent 3,411,685 INTERMITTENT ANGULAR STROKE DRIVING MECHANISM Mario De Gennaro, Castro Valley, Calif. (25029 ONeil Ave., Hayward, Calif. 94544) Filed Apr. 4, 1967, Ser. No. 628,350 13 Claims. (Cl. 22676) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mechanism for intermittently driving a rotary member through a predetermined angle. The mechanism is particularly useful in effecting angular feed strokes for intermittently advancing a continuous strip or web of material through a predetermined distance. The mechanism includes a rotary solenoid which upon energization rotates a shaft through a predetermined angle and returns the shaft to its initial rest position. A rotary element mounted in eccentric relation to the shaft is locked in a cogging position by a latch for engagement with an arm secured to the shaft when the shaft rotates through the predetermined angle. The latch at this time releases the rotary element which is rotated by the arm through an angle greater than the predetermined angle during the return stroke of the shaft to its rest position.

Background of the invention This invention relates to a mechanism for intermittently driving a rotary element through a predetermined angle.

In numerous applications it is necessary that a rotary element be driven through a predetermined angle. For instance, the rotary element may be arranged to engage a continuous strip of paper, or the like, to incrementally advance the strip a predetermined distance each angular stroke of the element. Such an arrangement is exemplified in the coin operated ticket vending apparatus disclosed in my prior US. Patent No. 3,220,269. Apparatus of this type is used in conjunction with unattended parking lots to dispense a parking ticket in response to operation of a coin slide or equivalent coin receipt mechanism. The dispensed ticket is the leading end portion of a continuous strip of paper that is incrementally advanced in response to each actuation of the coin receipt mechanism. The strip is provided with pluralities of perforations along its side edges engageable with the teeth of a pair of sprockets. The sprockets are shaft connected to a rotary element that is arranged to be driven through a predetermined angle responsive to actuation of the coin receipt mechanism and in turn correspondingly rotate the sprockets to advance the ticket strip. The predetermined angular rotation of the rotary element is effected by means of an escapement mechanism which is triggered by actuation of the coin receipt mechanism. The escapement mechanism is relatively complex and involves many moving parts. Consequently advantages are to be gained by the provision of a simplified mechanism for driving a rotary element through a predetermined angle, to replace the escapement mechanism. A conventional rotary solenoid might be considered as being such a simplified mechanism since a rotary solenoid is arranged to rotate a shaft through a predetermined angle and thereafter return the shaft to its initial rest position. A simple one-way clutch, or the like might then be employed to couple the solenoid shaft to the strip feeding sprockets and thereby enable the shaft to be coupled to the sprockets for rotation in one direction and be decoupled therefrom during reverse rotation.

However, existing rotary solenoids are limited in their rotation to angular strokes less than that required for the sprockets to satisfactorily feed the strip. Typically, the

3,411,685 Patented Nov. 19, 1968 sprockets require a stroke of 120, While a rotary solenoid is capable of a maximum stroke of Summary of the invention In accordance with the present invention there is provided a relatively simple mechanism involving few moving parts which is capable of intermittently driving a rotary element through a predetermined angle. The mechanism includes a conventional rotary solenoid which is capable of rotating a shaft through a maximum angle considerably less than the predetermined angle of the rotary element. In accordance with the particularly salient aspects of the invention the limited angular rotation of the rotary solenoid is employed to rotate the rotary element through the larger required predetermined angle. More particularly, the rotary element is provided as a drive disc having raised cogs on a face thereof with circumferential spacing equal to the predetermined angle. The drive disc is rotatably mounted on a housing as by means of a shaft which may be connected to sprockets of strip feeding apparatus, or the like. The rotary solenoid is mounted on the housing with its shaft eccentrically related to the rotary axis of the disc. An arm is secured to the solenoid shaft and provided with a pin or equivalent engaging element at its free end which bears against the disc face. As the arm is rotated by the solenoid shaft during its limited angular movement, the engaging element sweeps across the disc face between points circumferentially spaced relative thereto by an angle equal to and preferably slightly greater than the desired predetermined angle of disc rotation. A latching device is also mounted on the housing to lock the disc in a cogging position wherein one of the cogs is positioned for engagement with the engaging means at the end of the angular stroke of the arm. The latching device is so arranged that it is triggered by the arm beginning its return stroke to release the disc. The engaging means, in its engagement with the disc cog, rotates the disc through the predetermined angle as the solenoid shaft returns to its rest position. Before the end of the return stroke, the latching device is repositioned to lock the disc in cogging position preparatory to the next actuation of the rotary solenoid.

Brief description of the drawing FIGURE 1 is a plan view of intermittent angular stroke driving mechanism in accordance with the present invention embodied in strip feed apparatus.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken at line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, but illustrating the mechanism at the completion of an angular stroke of a rotary solenoid of the mechanism.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURES 2 and 3, but illustrating the mechanism just subsequent to the initiation of a return stroke of the rotary solenoid, a latching device of the mechanism being depicted in its release position.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the latching device and a drive disc of the mechanism, illustrating the cooperation therebetween in locking the disc in a cogging position.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view with portions broken away of the drive disc and cog engaging means carried by an arm secured to the shaft of the rotary solenoid of the mechanism.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now to the drawing in detail, an inteermittent angular stroke driving mechanism 11, in accordance with the present invention, will be seen to be embodied in strip advancing apparatus 12 such as may be employed to dispense tickets in the general manner disclosed in the previously referenced Patent No. 3,220,269. It will be appreciated however that the mechanism 11 may be adapted to other and varied application involving the driving of a rotary element through a predetermined angle.

The strip advancing apparatus 12 includes a housing 13 having parallel spaced side walls 14, 16 interconnected by a transverse end wall 17. A generally arcuate guide 18 is secured between the side walls to extend upwardly and forwardly towards the end edges thereof opposite to those connected by end wall 17. An arcuate cover plate 19 is hingedly secured to the end Wall 17 so as to be movable between an open position exposing the guide 18, and a closed position closely spaced from the guide so as to define a guide passage therebetween having a dispensing chute 20 through the wall 17. A spring clip 21, or the like, is secured to one side wall 14 to releasably retain the cover plate in closed position. A shaft 22 is journalled for rotation transversely between the side walls 14, 16 subjacent the guide 18. and a pair of transversely spaced sprockets 23 are coaxially secured to the shaft for rotation therewith. The teeth 24 of the sprockets at upper peripheral portions thereof extend through transversely spaced slots 26 through the guide and cover, to thus eX- tend through the guide passage. The teeth are thus engageable with perforations along the sides of a continuous web or strip of material (not shown) coiled beneath the guide and having its leading end extending through the guide passage. Upon rotation of the sprockets through a predetermined angle, the strip is advanced a corresponding incremental distance through the guide passage and out of the chute 20. The leading end portion of the strip advanced out of the chute comprises a ticket when the strip advancing apparatus is employed as a ticket dispenser.

The intermittent driving of the sprockets 23 of the strip advancing apparatus 13 through a predetermined angular stroke is effected by the mechanism 11 of the present invention, which is relatively simple, compact, and involves few moving parts compared to previous arrangements for similar purposes. The angular stroke driving mechanism includes a conventional rotary solenoid 28 which is mounted on a plate 29 parallel spaced from side wall 16 and secured to an extension of end wall 17. The solenoid 28 includes a cylindrical casing 31 having a rotary drive shaft 32 projecting therefrom normally towards side wall 16. Responsive to energization of the solenoid, the shaft rotates through a predetermined fixed angle and upon reaching the end of its stroke is returned to its initial rest position as by means of a loading spring, or the like.

The angular stroke of the rotary solenoid 28 is considerably less than that required for the strip advancing sprockets 23 to effect a satisfactory feed of the strip, as well as for various other angular stroke applications. Consequently, in accordance with an important feature of the invention, the limited angular stroke of the rotary solenoid is employed to produce a considerably larger angular stroke of a rotary element, in the illustrated case a drive disc 33 coaxially secured to an end of shaft 22 which extends through side wall 16. In this regard, the solenoid shaft 32 is eccentrically disposed with respect to the rotary axis of drive disc 33, i.e., shaft 22. In the illustrated case the shaft 32 is downwardly vertically spaced from shaft 22 to achieve the eccentricity. A drive arm 34 is provided with one end radially secured to shaft 32, and an engaging element, preferably "a pin 36, projects normally from the free end of the arm into engagement with the face of the disc. The pin is spring loaded towards the disc so as to resiliently bear against the face thereof. To this end, the pin is advantageously slidably disposed in a bushing 37 carried at the free end of the arm, and a spring 38 within the bushing acts between a closed end thereof and the pin, as shown in FIGURE 5.

When the rotary solenoid shaft 32 is in its rest position, the arm 34 is positioned, as shown in FIGURE 2, with the pin 36 engaging the face of disc 33 adjacent a point on the periphery thereof. At the end of the angular stroke of the solenoid shaft, the arm is positioned, as shown in FIGURE 3, with the pin engaging the face of the disc adjacent a second point on the periphery thereof. The second point is circumferentially spaced from the first point relative to the disc axis by an angle considerably greater than that traversed by the arm relative to the shaft 34 as the latter undergoes its angular stroke. The relatively large angular displacement between the points adjacent the disc periphery results from the arm sweeping across the disc eccentrically due to the eccentric relationship between the shaft 32 and disc axis. The angular displacement between the points is substantially equal to, and in fact slightly greater than the desired angular stroke of the disc. Thus, if provision is made to couple the engaging pin 36 to the disc during return movement of the arm to its start position, the disc will be driven through the desired relatively large angular stroke. To this end the face of the disc is provided with a plurality of cogs 39, preferably in the form of radially extending shoulders, having a circumferential spacing corresponding to the desired angular stroke. The cogs may be readily provided, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, by forming slots 71 extending radially inward from the disc periphery, and Warping or deforming the disc segments between the slots relative to the plane of the disc face. One edge of each slot thus defines one of the cogs.

It will be appreciated that in order for the disc to be driven the desired angular stroke, the disc must be in a cogging position wherein one of the cogs 39 is positioned for engagement by the spring loaded pin 36 each time the arm 34 commences its return stroke. The foregoing is facilitated by a latching mechanism 42 which is arranged to lock the disc in cogging position while being releasable just prior to the start of the return stroke of the arm. The latching mechanism thus frees the disc for rotation during the return stroke. However, the mechanism is operable to again lock the disc upon completion of its driven angular stroke by the arm. More particularly, the latching mechanism 42 includes a latch element 43 of preferably channel shaped cross section. The element 43 is pivotally connected to side wall 16, as by means of a pivot pin 44 extending through the parallel spaced sides of the element, for rotation about an axis parallel to the shafts 22, 32. The pivot pin 44 is displaced in the direction of initial rotation of arm 34 from the position of the arm at the end of its angular stroke (as shown in FIGURE 3). The free end of the latch element projects from the pivot point towards the shafts 22, 32 and the proximal side of the element relative to side wall 16 is provided with a generally downwardly hooked projection 46 at its free end. The lower edge of hooked projection 46 is provided with an intermediate notch 47 and an arcuate cam surface 48 extending from the notch in the direction of pivot pin 44. The notch is lockingly engageable with a plurality of pins 49 projecting normally from the opposite face of disc 33 from that having the cogs 39. The pins have the same circumferential spacing as the cogs but are appropriately spaced therefrom such that when one of the pins is engaged by the notch, the disc is in cogging position with one of the cogs disposed for engagement with pin 36 upon completion of an angular stroke of drive arm 34. A spring 51 is connected between an intermediate point of the latch element and a subjacent point of side wall 16 to normally resiliently urge the latch element downwardly toward the pins 49 on the disc. When the disc is not in cogging position, such as during a driven angular stroke thereof, the cam surface 48 resiliently engages one of the pins and is traversed by the pin during disc rotation. When the disc is in its next cogging position, the notch 47 engages the pin to thus lock the disc against further rotation.

In order to facilitate release of the disc by the latching element 43 in response to the drive arm 34 beginning its return stroke with the pin 36 in engagement with one of the cogs 39, a release earn 52 is carried by the latching element for engagement by a follower 53 carried by the arm. In the illustrated case the follower is provided as the closed end of bushing 37 which projects from the opposite side of the arm as pin 36. The cam includes a generally circular hub 54 having oppositely projecting substantially tangential arms 56, 57 at diametrically opposed points thereof. The cam is pivotally connected at the hub to the outer side of the latching element, and a spring 58 is secured between arm 56 and the latching element to resiliently urge the arm against a stop 59 projecting outwardly from the element. In this normal stopped position, the arm 47 is downwardly inclined towards the rotary solenoid shaft 32. The cam is resiliently pivotal in a direction opposed to that of initial rotation of the drive arm 34, and the cam arm 57 is engageable with the follower 53 prior to completion of the angular stroke of the drive arm. The free end of cam arm 57 is provided with a pair of adjacent notches 61, 62. The innermost notch 61 is engaged by follower 53 just prior to completion of the stroke of drive arm 34. As the drive arm completes its stroke, the cam is pivoted against the loading of spring 58 to a triggered position determined by a stop 63 engaged by cam arm 57. At the same time, the follower engages the outer notch 62, and the respective parts are positioned as shown in FIGURE 3. As the drive arm begins its return stroke, the follower, in its engagement with notch 62, effects pivotal movement of the latching element 43 upwardly against the loading of spring 51 to thereby disengage the latch notch 47 from the previously engaged one of the pins 49, as shown in FIGURE 4. The disc is thereby freed for rotation and driven through the desired predetermined angular stroke by the pin 36 engaging one of the cogs 39 during the return stroke of the drive arm. A short time after initiation of the drive stroke the follower 53 is disengaged from the cam notch 62. The cam returns to its normal position and the latching element 43 is again resiliently urged downward to engage the cam surface 48 against the next one of the stop pins 49.

What is claimed is:

1. Angular stroke driving mechanism comprising drive means for rotation a shaft through a predetermined angle from a rest position and thereupon returning the shaft in the opposite rotational direction to the rest position, a rotary element having a rotational axis eccentrically related to said shaft, a drive arm secured to said shaft for rotation therewith and having an end for sweeping between points which are circumferentially spaced relative to the axis of said rotary element by a greater angle relative to said axis than said predetermined angle during rotation of said shaft from said rest position, and means carried by said end of said arm engaging said rotary element during rotation of said shaft in at least one of the rotational directions to drive said rotary element through a rotational angle greater than said predetermined angle.

2. Angular stroke driving mechanism according to claim 1 further defined by said circumferentially spaced points being on said element and said drive arm end sweeping across said element therebetween during rotation of said shaft, and by said means carried on said end of said arm engaging said rotary element during the return rotation of said shaft to said rest position.

3. Angular stroke driving mechanism according to claim 2 further defined by said rotary element being a disc having raised radially extending cogs on a face thereof circumferentially spaced by an angle substantially equal to that between said points, an engaging element carried by said end of said arm engageable with said cogs, and latching means coupled to said disc for retaining same in a cogging position wherein one of said cogs is engageable by said engaging element at the time said shaft completes its rotation from rest position through said predetermined angle and releasing said disc in response to the initiation of return rotation of said arm.

4. Angular stroke driving mechanism according to claim 1, further defined by said drive means being a rotary solenoid and said shaft being the rotary drive shaft thereof.

5. Angular stroke driving mechanism according to claim 3, further defined by said latching means including a plurality of lock pins projecting from the opposite face of said disc from that having said cogs, said pins circumferentially spaced by the same angle as said cogs, a latch element mounted for pivotal movement relative to said disc and spring loaded towards said lock pins, said latch element having a notch engageable with said pins, and release means carried by said latch element engageable by said drive arm for pivoting said latch element against the spring loading thereof in response to the initiation of return rotation of said shaft.

6. Angular stroke driving mechanism according to claim 5, further defined by said release means comprising a cam having a hub pivotally secured to said latch element and a cam arm projecting from the hub, said cam arm having a pair of adjacent notches in its free end, means spring loading said cam to a normal position wherein said cam arm is downwardly inclined towards said shaft, said cam being pivotal against the spring loading thereof in a direction opposed to that of said shaft in rotating from said rest position through said predetermined angle, and a follower carried by said drive arm engageable with said notches of said cam arm.

7. Angular stroke driving mechanism according to claim 5, further defined by said drive means being a rotary solenoid and said shaft being the drive shaft thereof.

8. Angular stroke driving mechanism according to claim 6 further defined by said drive means being a rotary solenoid and said shaft being the drive shaft thereof.

9. Angular stroke driving mechanism according to claim 8, further defined by said engaging element and said follower comprising a bushing extending through said end of said drive arm with one end of said bushing defining said follower, and a pin slidably disposed in said bushing and spring loaded outwardly into engagement with the face of said disc having said cogs to thereby define said engaging element.

10. Apparatus for intermittently advancing a continuous strip of material a predetermined increment of distance comprising a housing having parallel spaced side walls and means defining a guide passage between said side walls terminating in a dispensing chute, said passage adapted to receive said strip of material and guide same to said chute, a shaft journalled for rotation transversely between said side walls, a pair of transversely spaced advancing members coaxially secured to said shaft and having peripheral portions extending into said passage for engagement with said strip of material, a drive disc coaxially secured to an end of said shaft extending through a first of said side walls, said disc having raised radially extending cogs on the outer face thereof circumferentially spaced by a predetermined angle, a rotary solenoid having a second shaft, said solenoid in response to energization rotating said second shaft from rest position through a second angle to an actuated position and thereupon returning the second shaft in the opposite rotational direction to said rest position, said second angle being less than said first angle, means mounting said solenoid with said second shaft projecting toward said outer face of said disc in eccentric relation to said first shaft, a drive arm having an end transversely secured to said second shaft for rotation therewith, engaging means carried by the free end of said arm bearing against said outer face of said disc for engaging said cogs, said engaging means disposed at first and second points adjacent the periphery of said disc when said second shaft is respectively in said rest and actuated positions, said first and second points circumferentially spaced relative to said first shaft by an angle substantially equal to said first angle, and latching means coupled to said disc for retaining same in a cogging position wherein one of said cogs is engageable by said engaging means at said second point and releasing said disc in response to initiation of return rotation of said second shaft.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, further defined by said latching means including a plurality of lock pins projecting from the interior face of said disc, said pins circumferentially spaced by said first angle, a latch element pivotally mounted on said first side wall for rotation about an axis parallel to said first and second shafts and spring loaded toward same, said latch element having a notch engageable with said lock pins and resiliently engaging one of said pins when said disc is in said cogging position, and release means carried by said latch element engageably by said drive arm when said engaging means is at said second point for pivoting said latch element against the spring loading thereof in response to the initiation of return rotation of said second shaft.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 further defined by said release means comprising a cam having a hub pivotally secured to said latch element and a cam arm projecting from said hub, said cam arm having a pair of adjacent notches in its free end, means spring loading said cam to a normal position wherein said cam arm is downwardly inclined from said latch element towards said second shaft, said cam being pivotal against the spring loading thereof in a direction opposed to that of said second shaft in rotating from said rest to said actuated position, and a follower carried by the free end of said drive arm engageable with said notches of said cam arm.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 further defined by said advancing members being sprockets having teeth for engaging perforations along the side edges of said strip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 427,014 4/1890 Roberts 74142 2,638,132 5/1953 Guess 226157 X 3,172,592 3/1965 Norden 226157 ALLEN N. KNOWLES, Primary Examiner. 

